Women living with HIV: perception regarding diagnosis, treatment and mental health.
Aline de Lima Barbosa, Amuzza Aylla Pereira Dos Santos, Christefany Régia Braz Costa and 5 others
PMID 40105644WHAT IT FOUND
Women living with HIV described stigma, anxiety, despair, and suicidal thoughts after diagnosis; these feelings were linked to missed or stopped antiretroviral treatment.
Ask about mental health before treating poor adherence as forgetfulness.
Key findings
01Women described uncertainty and despair after diagnosis, along with moral judgment from healthcare professionals, partner abandonment, and self-destructive thoughts.
02Anxiety and depression were described as affecting daily life and antiretroviral adherence, with some women partially or completely stopping treatment.
03Seven of the eight women reported daily psychotropic medication use.
STILL TO COME
How it was doneWhat they foundWhat it means for RNs
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What it does not show
Eight women from one specialized HIV clinic were interviewed, so the accounts may not represent all women living with HIV. Participants were selected by convenience sampling, not randomly. Women with physical, emotional, or behavioral vulnerabilities were excluded, so the study may miss patients who are most distressed or least able to participate. The COVID-19 pandemic reduced the number of available professionals and patients during data collection. The study reports perceptions, not measured adherence rates, viral load outcomes, or treatment effects.
The easy way to misread this
Do not read this as evidence that empathetic communication improves adherence. It describes perceptions from a small group of women at one clinic and did not test an intervention.